Common Pagan Rituals And Beliefs

This essay Common Pagan Rituals And Beliefs has a total of 1585 words and 8 pages.
Common Pagan Rituals And Beliefs

Paganism is an ancient type of religion which has quite an inauspicious
reputation today. There are many types of paganism, most date back
thousands of years, which include Wicca, Witchcraft, Paganism, and a few
other lesser known and practiced variations. Yet all of these religions
are similar and share common beliefs. Wicca is the most common of these,
as it also demonstrates the shared belief of doing good that is common to
most forms of paganism. Another common belief, is to gather in small
groups, called covens, to practice pagan rites and ceremonies with others.
There are many ancient beliefs, archaic rituals, and forgotten traditions
that are practiced by pagans. Many of these are also the origins of
widely practiced traditions in the Christian-dominated world of today.
A defining characteristic of many pagan religions, especially Wicca, is
the worship and closeness to nature. Pagans treat animals kindly and
respect all things, living or nonliving, as though they were a person (Roy
N. p.). They also share the worship of their nature gods, which increases
their respect for all that is around them (Roy N. p.). Pagans are very
sensitive people that also have a high regard for personal privacy (Roy N.
p.). With this belief of privacy, many pagans have more time to keep in
touch with their inner selves and with the nature around them. Wicca, a
more popular pagan religion, focuses on the Earth and uses pure white
magic to help others (Roy N. p.). In fact, the Wiccan creed is, “An it
harm none, do as thou will,” which agrees with the “good” philosophy
(Beliefs N. p.). Altogether, pagans have a great deal of emphasis on the
life and beauty of the nature that thrives around them and are radically
different than the mythical rumors of witches that have been given to them
over time.
Another defining characteristic of many pagans is the dedication to
knowledge and self exploration (Roy N. p.). In fact it has been said
that, “Witchcraft is the oldest, most irrepressible religion in the world
because it stimulates the intellect, promotes a simple, practical way of
life, and most importantly, is emotionally satisfying” (Art N. p.). There
is a set of beliefs, called the Laws of Magic that help illustrate the
beliefs supported by Wicca and other pagan religions. Many of these laws
are practical, yet they also relate to the more religious aspect of
paganism. One of the most important laws, the Law of Knowledge, states
that witches believe that all knowledge is power, no matter how big or
small (Bonewits N. p.). A related law, the Law of Self-Knowledge, states
that witches should truly know themselves, for this prevents doing harm to
others, once the understanding of the harm is seen (Bonewits N. p.).
There are many other laws, one such law explains that coincidence does not
exist, but that everything is part of a larger plan (Bonewits N. p.). The
Law of Similarity states that similar representations of things can be
made to represent them, such as voodoo dolls (Bonewits N. p.). The Law of
Personification states the important belief that anything, concrete or
abstract, can be considered alive for whatever purpose (Bonewits N. p.).
One commonly known law, The Law of Perversity, also called “Murphy’s Law,”
states that if anything can go wrong, it will (Bonewits N. p.). As if a
summary of all other beliefs, The Law of Unity says that everything is
linked together to every other thing, in any space or time (Bonewits N.
p.). So, as shown here, all pagans, whether Wiccan or not, follow the
basic guidelines and beliefs that knowledge is power. To support this
belief are many other more specific beliefs that help the individual learn
and grow.
Rituals and traditions also play a large role in Wiccan lives and
activities. The most common of these includes the rituals associated with
the new and full moons, as well as the 8 sabbats. The 8 sabbats are
equally divided throughout the year, along with the seasons, and help
attune the practicing Wiccans to the cycle of the year (Sabbats N. p.).
The first of these sabbats is Yule, practiced around December 21; it
represents the rebirth of the light and the awakening of new goals
(Sabbats N. p.). Candlemas, celebrated on February 2, banishes winter and
is the favored time for initiating new members into a coven of witches
(Sabbats N. p.). It is also tradition at this time to light all the lamps
in the house (Sabbats N. p.). Ostara, a familiar holiday, is usually
around March 21 and

Read essay without registering

Donate an essay now and get the full essay emailed you. Upload File
Acceptable files: .txt, .doc, .docx, .rtfEmail Address

Topics Related to Common Pagan Rituals And Beliefs

Essays Related to Common Pagan Rituals And Beliefs

What is a Witch?What is a Witch? I\'ll get you my pretty, and your little dog too!” The Wicked Witch of the West... One of the most notorious and stereotypical witches in all literature. She had green skin, a big wart- covered nose, and a wide-brimmed black hat. She summoned a legion of monsters, stirred evil brews in her black cauldron, and generally made life difficult for the fun-loving citizens of Oz. She, and her fellow “hags” tend to be seen in a rather comic light, despite their appearance, and are usua

PaganismPaganism Paganism is an ancient type of religion which has quite an inauspicious reputation today. There are many types of paganism, most date back thousands of years, which include Wicca, Witchcraft, Paganism, and a few other lesser known and practiced variations. Yet all of these religions are similar and share common beliefs. Wicca is the most common of these, as it also demonstrates the shared belief of doing good that is common to most forms of paganism. Another common belief, is to gather

Definition For SatanismDefinition For Satanism Most religions like Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam have well defined meanings on exception is Satanism. Most people have their own definition for Satanism. Some people feel that non-Christian religions and all Christian denominations other than their own are forms of Satanism. This would imply that all Buddhists, Hindus, Moslems, and Jews. In fact at least 75% of the world\'s population would be Satanists. Others feel that all religions other than Judaism or Christiani

WiccaWicca Jan Phillips article The Craft of the Wise tells of how she came to learn of one of her ancestors who was hung during the Salem Witch Hunts. This lit an interest in her mind to further research the subject of Wicca, the craft of the wise. By consulting many books about witchcraft, she learned that Wicca is more of a nature and imagination based religion than the spellcasting voodoo practicing stereotype it has been made out to be in the past. Through her research, she finds out that Wicca

Evening With A PaganEvening With A Pagan An Evening with the Pagans A brief history of paganism Over 25,000 years ago, our ancestors across the continent practiced an ancient form of religion known as paganism. During the Neolithic and Paleolithic time era, our ancestors were in awe of the great manifestations of nature. Due to lack of scientific thought, they were riddled with ignorance and superstition. Everything had a supernatural explanation. They associated each naturalistic phenomena with a type of god, insc

Common Pagan Rituals And BeliefsCommon Pagan Rituals And Beliefs Paganism is an ancient type of religion which has quite an inauspicious reputation today. There are many types of paganism, most date back thousands of years, which include Wicca, Witchcraft, Paganism, and a few other lesser known and practiced variations. Yet all of these religions are similar and share common beliefs. Wicca is the most common of these, as it also demonstrates the shared belief of doing good that is common to most forms of paganism. Another comm

The Halliwell HistoryThe Halliwell History The Halliwell history truly begins centuries ago, in a small colony on the east coast of the newly-developed land that would come to be known as the United States of America. There, a young woman named Charlotte Warren was the bearer of a special prophecy, one that would forever shape the future of magic and the lives of three young women far in the future. In the latter half of the year 1670, it was discovered that the child Charlotte was carrying was prophesied to be the

WitchcraftWitchcraft The word Witchcraft dates back many hundred of years and means literally The craft of the wise. This is because the Witches of the old were the wise ones of their village, knowledgeable in the art of healing, legal matters and spiritual fulfillment. A Witch had to not only be a religious leader, but also the doctor, lawyer, and psychologist of the village. Today, people have reclaimed this word in their pursuit of Wiccan religion. A With is an initiate of Wicca, one who has earned

Merry Meet Friend!Merry Meet Friend! This is an essay on Basic Wiccan Philosophy. It explains most of our ethics and some history to boot. This should help you understand Wicca more, I hope. OK, for starters, Wicca is the revival movement of an ancient European religion dating back as much as 25,000 years BCE (before common era). The word Wicca derives from the ancient English term, wicce, which literally means wise one. In ancient times, witches held great authority with their villages, and people came to them

HalloweenHalloween Lewandowski, Peter Professor Smead English EN1031X 2 November 1998 Halloween is the best holiday of the year, and should be more actively worshipped than all the rest of the holidays. This is because Halloween relieves people form the stress of every-day life, Halloween was originally a wiccan holiday, and because on Halloween the television stations play all the good horror movies. Halloween is the best holiday of the year, because it allows people to escape the stress of their every-

To be a Wiccan in AmericaTo be a Wiccan in America Free exercise of religion is protected in the United States provided that the belief is sincerely held and is a religious belief of any kind. The belief or practice need not be a part of an organized religion or sect, and need not include a belief in any Supreme Deity. Indigenous, polytheistic, agnostic, and atheistic beliefs all fall under the protection of the law. (Know) In America, it was determined in the ruling of US vs. Ballard, in 1944, that the Courts can no

What is Satanism?What is Satanism? Satanism is the religion of the flesh. Happiness, to the Satanist must be found here and now. No heaven exists to go to after death and no Hell of burning punishment awaits the sinner. Strongly attached to our family and close associations, we make excellent friends. Satanists do not believe that you can love everyone and treat every person the same. By failing to hate you make yourself unable to love. Feared by their enemies and loved by their friends, Satanist\'s build their

What is Satanism?What is Satanism? Satanism is the religion of the flesh. Happiness, to the Satanist must be found here and now. No heaven exists to go to after death and no Hell of burning punishment awaits the sinner. Strongly attached to our family and close associations, we make excellent friends. Satanists do not believe that you can love everyone and treat every person the same. By failing to hate you make yourself unable to love. Feared by their enemies and loved by their friends, Satanist\'s build their

Withccraft in British HistoryWithccraft in British History European witchcraft was a unique phenomenon which differed from European high magic from the low magic or simple sorcery (Russel 658). High magic and simple sorcery differ however in methods and motivation (658). High magic was astrology and alchemy (658). Sorcerers are usually people that are motivated by strong feelings of jealously, revenge, malice which are experienced by everyone (Marwich 3042). More supernatural are witches who are slaves of aberration and add

MeditationMeditation In the eight fold path of yoga meditation is the eighth step (Smith, 11). Once here a Yogi must become more aware and more sensitive to what is within themselves (“Meditation”). “A Yogi must first lose themselves here to find peace with themselves” (Smith, 11). The armor that a person has built around themselves throughout their lives must be lost and they have to see themselves clearly (Smith, 19). Meditation begins with concentration (“Meditation”). In concentration meditation a Yog

WitchcraftWitchcraft Imagine a life, where due to your beliefs and religion, you are persecuted against. Similar to that of the African Americans environment in today\'s world. You tell you neighbor you are a member of the witchcraft community and from that day on, your so called best friend looks at you with a funny expression when you go down to get the mail. From that day on society labels you as unordinary or a freak. This is the current life for those which believe in wicca, also refereed to as wit